the standing eight

Reviewed by Brian Burmeister, Iowa State University

19 january 2018 archive

the standing eight

Boxing has long been a part of our literary and cultural history. Works from such icons as Norman Mailer and Joyce Carol Oates—as well as an Academy-Award-winning Best Picture written by Sylvester Stallone—have helped fuel our nation's love affair and fascination with the sport. Continuing in that tradition, Adam Berlin, the author of four novels, pens a thoughtful love letter to boxing in his first collection of poetry, The Standing Eight. Within its pages, The Standing Eight explores a range of themes and topics that encompass father-son relationships, masculinity, hard work and perseverance, pain, loss, and the quest for greatness.

Berlin's experience as a novelist and his skill with storytelling shine in longer poems like "Watched You Become a Pugilist"—the touching story of hall-of-fame boxer Larry Barnes—and "The Father Fight (Full Count)"—in which the narrator watches the three sons of a boxer watch their father in the ring. These poems, as well as others in the collection, successfully bring boxing to life, the realities for these men outside the ring, and Berlin's admiration for the work ethic and sacrifice of those who are willing to give their all, even when things do not go well.

Issues of masculinity are at the center of "The Greatest Compliment Ever," a poem in which the drunk narrator has a chance encounter with Mike Tyson in a bar in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. "I touched his shoulder when he / walked by and he turned and there he was, Iron Mike, thick-necked and eyes / to eyes with me and he said You scared me, man." The encounter and the words spoken by the champion boxer immediately ignite macho feelings of invincibility within the narrator but ultimately form a fixation on the interaction which leads to deeper and greater truths.

Throughout the book, Berlin also weaves in pop culture and literary references. "Remember When" takes on much of the feel of an essay—albeit a good one—in which a line from the show The Sopranos is reapplied to the context of boxing. This contemplative and bittersweet poem brings into the fold mentions of another TV series, Boardwalk Empire, and playwright Eugene O'Neill to useful effect.

But for all the great stories, images, and points that Berlin makes, nothing struck me more than his love and appreciation for the men who put their bodies and sometimes their lives on the line for a shot at greatness. "Before the Fights at The Blue Horizon" hits on this perhaps better than any other poem in the collection. It investigates and honors the sport Berlin finds to be so special. Central to this is the author's effort to unravel the mysteries of why men fight and what drives them to pursue "the opposite of instinct." As Berlin so perfectly and poignantly writes: "It's unnatural to stand there / and accept another man's punch."

Whether the stories within Berlin's poems are entirely autobiographical, loosely inspired by Berlin's experiences, or completely invented, each poem feels authentic. Each poem feels real. And so, too, does the love for the sport. Boxing is not just alive, but truly revered through these pages. The Standing Eight shows us that boxing is work, art, and life lessons—all wrapped into one. Perhaps if there's anything Berlin wants his readers to take away from his collection, it is this: boxing is beautiful.

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